NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 707 "Praise Li" (Daily Chapter)

On Saturday, April 2010, 4, ESPN's morning show once again focused on the Heat's internal strife.

Because Artest quarreled with Wade after Game 3, the Heat finally suspended him, which led to the champion forward going all out and taking the initiative to reveal to the media:
"I've been playing like this since I entered the league. I won 8 trophies with Lee in New York!"

"Now someone is telling me not to shoot anymore because my three-pointers hurt the team? This is the first time I've heard such an outrageous reason. Wade should reflect on why he led the team to lose."

"I think the team should realize that the loss is the problem of the core players. If Wade scores 50 points efficiently in the game, we will be unstoppable!"

"But he couldn't do it and made excuses like a coward."

Facing the sports reporters from Boston and New York, Artest no longer concealed his feelings and pointed out that the loss was all due to Wade's rottenness!
Although this statement sounds a bit outrageous, if you think about it carefully, what the championship forward said seems to be true. If Wade could score as easily as drinking water as Li You, the game could indeed be won.

Even when he was on the Knicks, Artest's three-point shooting percentage was not much higher, fluctuating around 35%. In Excel, the difference is not big.

After the game on Friday night, a heated argument broke out in the Heat locker room. An insider revealed that neither Artest nor Wade gave face to head coach Spoelstra and the two almost came to blows on the spot.

By the weekend, not only Wade was blamed, Spoelstra was also ridiculed, the rookie coach was unreliable, and the former video analyst was just a puppet of Pat Riley.

Artest single-handedly caused the Heat's locker room to collapse, and the Celtics fans were delighted. The Celtics, ranked 5th, ended up enjoying a "welfare bureau" and secured a victory over the stronger team!

In the afternoon, the Celtics, who were preparing for tomorrow night's game, showed their unity again. Although Garnett was fed up with the championship experience, he praised Rondo's performance in an interview:
"It's hard to believe that this is Rondo's fourth season. He is a natural commander. In this series, we have always firmly controlled the rhythm of the game!"

"We will get the match point at home. You know, the defending champion will most likely advance tomorrow night. We don't want to waste too much energy in the first round."

"."

Although Hardt followed the "really nice" comment, when asked about their boxing match, his eyes twitched slightly, and he tried to control his expression, forcing a smile and jokingly said:

"I think after that manly duel, the team became more united! For me, it was a conversation between men! We will get better and better."

The Heat, who are excluding championship experience, seem to be losing, while the Celtics, who are incorporating championship experience, seem to be thriving.

The media cannot fully understand the inside story, but it seems that the "New York champion members" are still very outstanding, and the so-called cancer is all rumors.

The team boss said good things, but Rondo was not grateful. Instead, he spoke up for his former teammates in an interview:

"I want to say a few words for Mehta, not because he has always taken care of me in the past, but because what he said is true."

"Some of the league's star players always like to compare themselves to Lee, but in fact, the gap is so big that those guys are unwilling to admit it."

The reporters surrounding him couldn't help but move their recording devices forward a distance. Rondo, wearing a headband, enjoyed the moment. After looking around, he continued:

"Recognize your own strengths and stick to the right kind of basketball!"

"I have learned how to be a qualified leader beside Lee, and I am confident that I can lead the Celtics to win this series."

"."

Rondo inadvertently started to show off his championship experience again. This has become a routine operation. Except for Marbury, who is super jealous, the other veterans have become accustomed to the rookie's behavior.

Nate Robinson, who is trying hard to make himself feel present, also did not want to miss the recent hot spots. He also accepted an interview, and the small guard directly turned into a "Li fan":
"Most players in the league know that Lee is on another level!"

"I was really happy when Rondo shared his championship experience without reservation. I learned a lot from coming here."

The Slam Dunk King, who has a low sense of presence, has always envied the treatment of role players in New York. Although Boston is good, life in New York seems to be more exciting. He even wants to recommend himself as a backup point guard, a job he can do!

Some role players of the Celtics praised Li You and his championship experience in interviews. This situation is completely different from the previous two years, and Garnett can't stand hearing this!

Before, Harden even asked everyone not to communicate with the Knicks players. Now that Rondo has "set things right", the Celtics have become a "brother team."

When returning to the locker room, Garnett was in a bad mood. Except for Glen Davis and Perkins, all the other brothers "rebelled"!
He didn't like what Rondo said either. Isn't "recognizing your own strength" just denying him?
If star players lose their dignity, they don't need to stay in the league. Garnett didn't want to be a yes-man, so he started to remind everyone while everyone was there:

"Stop paying attention to the news about the Heat! We have to win the game tomorrow night."

"Listen, stay out of this on Twitter, those journalists are assholes and I don't want to see you focusing on this nonsense."

"."

Everyone responded casually, and Ray Allen was also a little worried about tomorrow night's game. Although it was a great opportunity, if he relaxed, the Heat might pull him back:
"No matter what the opponent's situation is, we should really be nervous!"

Pierce nodded in a good mood. Without his "old enemy" harassing him on the defensive end, he could completely let go. Thinking of beating his opponent at home, the native leader raised his head and said pretentiously:
"After winning tomorrow night's game, we can consider the next round against the Knicks!"

Everyone started a heated discussion about the future, but Garnett didn't say much. This was not the locker room atmosphere he expected. The championship guard destroyed his voice in the locker room.

On the afternoon of Sunday, the 25th, the arrogant Artest was finally punished by Pat Riley. The oily-headed man did not accept any interviews, but spoke through the official team:

"Metta World Peace was late and missed the training session. The team will suspend him."

The Heat refused the interview and head coach Spoelstra did not talk about the punishment. The championship forward did hurt the team and suspension may be the best option.

Artest did not disappoint the fans. He did not accept the interview, but updated a status on Twitter:
"A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of the sheep!"

Seeing the phrase “Lions don’t care what sheep think” appear, the comment section was filled with joy. New York fans expressed their support and some suggested giving Wade two punches to wake up the Flash.

The Cavaliers, who have already got the match point, began to prepare for the semi-finals. Raja Bell, who also has championship experience, has won the trust of James!

The championship shooter showed signs of decline on the defensive end this season, but his overall performance is still very good. The injuries that occurred during the regular season were all minor and required serious recovery. Raja Bell is basically in retirement status.

Since the game between the Knicks and the Bulls started at 3:30 p.m., the game had already entered the second half when the training session ended.

After returning to the locker room, everyone took out their mobile phones and started checking Twitter. Except for old Deng, young players are becoming more and more fond of social media.

After changing clothes, Howard, who likes to watch the fun, has been leaving messages in Artest's comment area. Raja Bell also supported Artest and praised Li You's performance in the first half of the game:
"GOAT!"

There were not many reporters in the locker room. Mike Brown did not want the players to pay too much attention to gossip, but the reporters accompanying the team would not miss the hot spots and found the champion shooter as soon as possible:
"Bell, what do you think of what's happening to World Peace? Should he be integrated into the new system?"

Raja Bell did not answer directly, but gently reminded the role of championship experience:

"Metta can be emotional sometimes, but he must be the hardest working guy on the court. He knows how to win. Don't forget he has 8 championship rings!"

"After coming to the Cavaliers, I also brought the championship mentality here."

"Coach Van Gundy has given this team the championship gene. Under the guidance of Coach Brown, I just need to activate it!"

"LeBron can play like Lee, Dwight lets us not worry about defense, my championship experience is seamlessly integrated into the team, and despite the injuries, I think everyone has done a good job."

With a smile on his black face, Raja Bell looked very satisfied with the team's performance. James at the side also spoke up, took the initiative to take over the conversation, and added seriously:
"During the training camp, Lee has been emphasizing trust, and I deeply understand this! I will trust our shooters unconditionally."

"I know Wade, he's just too anxious, I believe he can handle this."

"."

Rasheed Wallace felt uncomfortable when he saw this scene. Although he integrated into the team seamlessly, in his opinion, most of the players from New York were cancer.

Even Billups was overconfident during the game, and his reckless three-pointers made Larry Brown very angry.

But the veteran was confused by the media comments. Wade, who scored 32 points efficiently, became the scapegoat. When combined with Artest's 50-point statement, Rasheed Wallace couldn't help but complain during an interview:

"I'm not interested in understanding what went wrong with the Heat's tactics, but I know that 50 points is not something that can be achieved easily."

"At least most of the players in the league don't have that kind of ability"

The reporter who heard the hidden meaning became interested and began to steer the topic in another direction. When he heard the question that "Wade is not as strong as Lee", the corners of Rasheed Wallace's mouth twitched twice.

The veteran had no interest in participating in the gossip and explained helplessly:
"Lee is on another level, he's at the top of the pyramid and we're all down there, that's the truth and everyone in the league knows it."

"."

The praise made Howard, who lost the trophy, a little unhappy, but the "Happy Beast" did not show it in front of the reporters, but just smiled and boasted about himself:

"The Heat lacks a real rebounder! The Cavaliers won't face this kind of difficulty. Even if we miss the three-pointer, I can still get it back!"

Several reporters expressed their agreement. In terms of team configuration, the Cavaliers are the most balanced. It is difficult for the big men of other teams in the league to defend. In this regard, Howard, who was beaten badly, performed the best this season.

At 17 p.m., the boos at the United Center in Chicago had disappeared. Most of the third quarter had passed, and Rose still hadn't been able to rebound. This round of the series was a drag.

At 3 minutes and 56 seconds, Luol Deng missed a three-pointer from the right wing, and the long rebound was picked up by Li You, and the cheers in the stadium became louder and louder.

Li You continued to accelerate along the left sideline and faced Rose's blockade. He passed the ball skillfully and the basketball almost bounced along the sideline. Rose first stopped in place and then quickly accelerated.

Li You rushed back to the court before his opponent, successfully chased the ball and continued to break through the defense, then stopped immediately when he approached the right wing.

Ross hurriedly adjusted his center of gravity and when he saw Li You switch to his left hand, he immediately turned sideways and moved his feet, and was attacked from the crotch on his front supporting foot.

Rose forced a slide and followed his body's instinct again, trying his best to fight back, but Li You had already gained most of his body space. When he rushed to the three-point line, he stopped again and pulled back under his crotch.

"Oh!"

Amid the cheers of the "traitors", Rose was shaken into the three-point line and could only jump up to defend symbolically, watching Li Youhe make an easy jump shot.

"Lee is killing the game! He's hot from the 3-point line tonight! No one on the Bulls can stop him!"

ABC broadcast Game 4, and Mike Breen was still on the commentary stage. Tonight, the veteran home commentator of the Knicks was no longer pretentious, and he kept praising Li You every time he made a three-pointer.

Li You raised three fingers and began to retreat with a smile. Rose failed to maintain his expressionless face and angrily slammed the ball hard when he received it.

88:63, the score difference is still widening, the game progress is a little slower than the previous three games, and the Knicks' shooters are a little sluggish tonight.

After Rose and Luol Deng failed to score, Noah, who was left open, continued his magical jump shot at the free throw line. In Chandler's surprised eyes, he steadily pushed the ball forward!
After scoring the goal, Noah roared passionately, clapped his hands with his hair in a bun, and shouted loudly to encourage his teammates.

In the noisy arena, Li You's fast advance once again caused cheers. Chandler made a fake screen at the top of the arc and quickly moved down. Noah directly chose to switch defense and rushed out.

The hesitant Rose finally followed, cut off the passing route, and when he ran into the paint area, he quickly twisted his body and tried to get back to the top line.

Changing direction under his hips and switching to his right hand, Li You suddenly lowered his center of gravity, pretended to break through to trick Noah, and then instantly completed a cross step and pulled back.

"Oh!"

Amid cheers, Noah jumped with all his might, but was still half a beat too slow. When he landed, he could only watch Li You twist his body and raise three fingers again.

The basketball went into the net, the shouting continued, and the Bulls had to request a timeout again.

With his hands on his hips, Noah was numb and had a helpless look on his face. Almost all the Bulls players had the same expression. Li You made consecutive strong shots tonight and took on the offense.

On the bench, Brad Miller seemed to have "accepted his fate". The veteran was in low spirits. He looked around at the atmosphere group around him and said helplessly:

“God didn’t favor us!”

"."

(End of this chapter)